Room Service No Longer Free - NCL Starts $7.95 Charge Per Order

[hpecorari]

Well if what you are saying is true, then NCL is not just looking to add a fee to recover what it costs them to provide room service delivery ( staff pay ). I don't think for one minute they pay their Breakaway staff more than they do the Getaway staff in Florida. So they are trying to figure how what the market will bear based on what they think a particular ship's income demographic is? They surely would not leave it $4.95 on the Getaway and charge $7.95 on the Breakaway because those rich New Yorkers can afford it? That would be cold!

 

I agree, however, I don't believe this is a fair test on either ship. Everyone thinks room service is free. The small print most won't even read/see. By the time they realize it they've already been given the bill. IF they even look at the bill. Most won't realize it until they get their final bill under their door.

 

So....how can this be a true test of who accepts the fees, and which fees are more acceptable to passengers?

 

Harriet

[motleyfan]

Just maybe some of us want to have a coffee and a croissant with our partner in our own space before we end up facing the world and the buffet scrum. Believe me, if our paths crossed before I've had my morning coffee and a smoke you would not enjoy it!

 

And you still have the right to do that now you just have to pay extra for that privilege

[SteveH2508]

<snip>

 

Just look at this thread for starters. The OP came on, indicated the new fee went into effect yesterday, but seems he didn't have his facts straight; never did he mention "test" probably he didn't know it was a trial.

 

You do not tell the lab rats that they are part of an experiment - it skews your results.

 

What is the legal position with respect to false advertising (calling room service complimentary when for those cruises it is not)?

 

I wonder if the test 'fails', they will refund all of those $7.95 charges? (Ooh look, flying pigs!)

 

I am not sure that I want to sail on a cruise line that arbitrarily selects a group of passengers to experiment on.

 

This could so easily have been tested using focus groups/questionnaires.

 

Clearly, the recent cull at Head Office has got rid of the corporate brain cells and left the lunatics in charge of the asylum.:eek:

[klannin]

I Just went into the NCL site where it says what is not included in your cruise fare and next to the last one WAS CONVENIENCE CHARGE for Room Service for all except Haven Suites, so does this mean any time we ask the butler for something we will have to pay? Very Confusing, this is our first Suite was looking forward to the perks. Maybe Not? Thoughts on this?

[SissasMomE]

Hey Nita , this is how I felt .. I was happy with NCL , We are Platinum for quite some time now and we enjoyed NCL Freestyle. Well , now all the lines have a form of freestyle , Platinum hardly means anything anymore and the new ships they are building are just to darn big for me..

Us old cruiser's who remember the old ways of cruising are witnessing the dawn of a new sailing industry.. Pack'em in , fill'em up and call it a Sale...

The new cruisers cant begin to understand what the heck we are complaining about. They haven't witnessed the classic style of cruising and most likely never will . What a shame , it was spectacular ;)

 

That is exactly right. I was just a kid, but I remember it well. It was nothing like today. Not even close.

[motleyfan]

I find this post and others you have made out of line..

 

Out of line? Really? I neither use profanity nor insults to make my points, so please enlighten me how have my posts then out of line? Seems like people with kids just can't imagine that people without kids don't want to be around them like its so horrible and terrible that we don't be want to be around their little bundles of joy lol. if I wanted to be around kids I would have some lol.

[NYteacher]

Also, I wonder what items they bean counters will examine to determine if this is a successful test? We will continue to use room service and pay the fee.

 

We will NOT buy a future cruise credit.

 

We may be gone as customers. I have to see what happens over the next year as right now I do not trust them about providing me with the services for which I have already paid.

 

So, if they count just room service revenue from us, they are missing the big picture.

[quincyhawk]

With all the changes going on, I just priced our Jan 3rd 2016 cruise on the Getaway VS same dates on Allure of the Seas. Balcony cabin 4 people: $4989 on Allure, $2569 on Getaway. I will stick with the Getaway.

[hpecorari]

Out of line? Really? I neither use profanity nor insults to make my points, so please enlighten me how have my posts then out of line? Seems like people with kids just can't imagine that people without kids don't want to be around them like its so horrible and terrible that we don't be want to be around their little bundles of joy lol. if I wanted to be around kids I would have some lol.

 

The point is people with children have the right to cruise just like you do.

 

 

You might not like cruising with children and children and adults might not like cruising with you.

 

However, we're still ALL in the same boat and have to get along.

 

And, to keep this on topic, those with children and those without have to pay the $7.95 room service fee.

 

Harriet

[SissasMomE]

With all the changes going on, I just priced our Jan 3rd 2016 cruise on the Getaway VS same dates on Allure of the Seas. Balcony cabin 4 people: $4989 on Allure, $2569 on Getaway. I will stick with the Getaway.

 

I priced out Celebrity for our March cruise, the Escape was cheaper (I expected that since Celebrity is more upscale) ... but Celebrity did not offer the UBP, so I won't cancel our group. Definitely will not be purchasing a FCC though - first time in years that I haven't.

 

Time to head to Sandals. More upscale, better service, and everything's included :)

[sundercruiser]

Hey Nita , this is how I felt .. I was happy with NCL , We are Platinum for quite some time now and we enjoyed NCL Freestyle. Well , now all the lines have a form of freestyle , Platinum hardly means anything anymore and the new ships they are building are just to darn big for me..

Us old cruiser's who remember the old ways of cruising are witnessing the dawn of a new sailing industry.. Pack'em in , fill'em up and call it a Sale...

The new cruisers cant begin to understand what the heck we are complaining about. They haven't witnessed the classic style of cruising and most likely never will . What a shame , it was spectacular ;)

 

My first cruise was in 2008, and the one upcoming next month will only be my 4th. So I surely missed any "golden age."

 

However, I think doing away with free room service cuts deep into whatever is left of your "golden age." I still remember the joy and excitement my tweenage daughter expressed when she learned that she would be able to order room service, with dad forking over the buck or two for tip. It was freedom from the parental hand that always kept a tight grip on the purse strings. Perhaps from reading "Eloise" when she was younger, room service represented utter luxury and pampering.

 

In the end she only ordered RS a few times, because there was so much other free food available, and her stomach only so big! But I am positive it contributed much to her cruise enjoyment, and helped set that vacation apart from others where the goodies and perks are more carefully guarded by a thrifty parent. I am positive she would react with dismay when/if she found out about this change. For her, free RS would be part of her "golden age."

 

As many on this thread have noted, NCL is often the leader when it comes to changes in the cruise industry. I truly think it would be a damn shame if this practice spreads industry-wide. Something significant would be lost.

[motleyfan]

Sorry Motleyfan, but you are just arguing for the sake of arguing. There is no justification for a $8 charge to bring food to your room, free food at that. Let alone to do it without any forewarning to your guests. This is not being cheap, it is being nickle and dimed.

 

We are those people who leave $5-10 tips when we eat dinner for the waiters. and give a $1 or 2 for every drink we order. Even when we are drinking for free in the casino or comped dinner. Tipping your waiter/waitress/busboy/delivery person, etc is just something we feel is right to do. Not everyone does it, but we do chose to do so.

 

This $7.95, if it went directly into the delivery person's pocket, I (and I bet others) would have no issue with it. Problem is, the person delivering the food to us probably sees 79.5 cents of that $7.95. So in essence, NCL is making room service a "speciality dining" charged fee, for crappy coffee, stale muffins and over/under ripe fruit.

 

I disagree but I respect your opinion as I do every ones on here. We all have the right to say what we feel but in the end whatever changes happen are up to Norwegian

[patronius]

It is completely misleading to call this a "test". Tell that to the PAX on those two ships who are now being charged for something their contract said was free when the contract was finalized. Perhaps those PAX should "test" how amending or deleting the DSC is treated by NCL, which PAX have every right to do under that very same contract.

[KevInPitt]

So in essence, NCL is making room service a "speciality dining" charged fee, for crappy coffee, stale muffins and over/under ripe fruit.

 

So when the crap is free, all is just fine. But when there's a charge for it, all hell breaks loose.

 

The logic speaks for itself - as does the solution.

[Shawnino]

Why do you guys keep feeding the troll?

[motleyfan]

The point is people with children have the right to cruise just like you do.

 

 

You might not like cruising with children and children and adults might not like cruising with you.

 

However, we're still ALL in the same boat and have to get along.

 

And, to keep this on topic, those with children and those without have to pay the $7.95 room service fee.

 

Harriet

 

Exactly that's why I say there are plenty of restaurants to go to you don't need room service.

[Beachgirl85]

I think it's very dissapointing!!! Just another charge

[motleyfan]

That is exactly right. I was just a kid, but I remember it well. It was nothing like today. My cruise consultant told me herself that with the unlimited beverage package a lot of younger singles have been cruising with Ncl. That's the whole reason Ncl has brought the innovative solo cabins to the forefront

[hpecorari]

Exactly that's why I say there are plenty of restaurants to go to you don't need room service.

 

You don't NEED a cruise either. You want to cruise. You want room service.

 

Harriet

[triptolemus]

Stop feeding the troll, guys.

[CruisinMaterial]

We are those people who leave $5-10 tips when we eat dinner for the waiters. and give a $1 or 2 for every drink we order. Even when we are drinking for free in the casino or comped dinner. Tipping your waiter/waitress/busboy/delivery person, etc is just something we feel is right to do. Not everyone does it, but we do chose to do so.

 

This $7.95, if it went directly into the delivery person's pocket, I (and I bet others) would have no issue with it. Problem is, the person delivering the food to us probably sees 79.5 cents of that $7.95. So in essence, NCL is making room service a "speciality dining" charged fee, for crappy coffee, stale muffins and over/under ripe fruit.

 

I'm with you about who gets the tip money. A lot of changes have been made for tipping but from my understanding of crew I have talked to, unless you give it to them they're not seeing it. There's also less crew servicing customers on ships and more on the back end which we're now asked to support through the DSC. The ships are becoming like mini independent hotels with more command structure on them and not enough workers actually doing the work. As a result crew are feeling overwhelmed, over worked, not appreciated and it's really kicking their morale in the behind. Loyal crew who have been with NCL for years and years have had their pay stuck because of the fact NCL can get newer, younger employees for cheaper money. I'm not sold that this fee will go to the people delivering the food or the ones making it either but rather to the corporate pockets to finance new ships. :(

[bangzoom6877]

That is exactly right. I was just a kid, but I remember it well. It was nothing like today. Not even close.

 

I was just a kid too but yes it has changed drastically. Some for the better, but some for the worse. The service is not nearly the same as it was 25 years ago on cruise ships. That's where I notice the biggest change. Specialty restaurants with a fee don't bother me, as it keeps the cost of the overall cruise down, but this room service fee is ridiculous. We don't usually use room service, except maybe once or twice to get coffee and danish delivered first thing in the morning, but there's no way we're paying for that, not $4.95 and certainly not $7.95.

 

NCL is really becoming ridiculous now. Although the 18% specialty restaurant gratuity ticked me off a little (more for the principle than anything else), this fee for room service is outrageous. And what bothers me most is complete lack of communication on their part. I really hope our cruise is good in July on the Breakaway and that we don't enter to last minute surprise charges for things we were told were included. I'm most upset about not being able to book shows in advance and wish we could. I'm not lining up two hours before a show just to get a seat, I'd rather relax in the jazz lounge or something.

[rochelle_s]

I posted this on the wrong thread so I am copying here ( sorry to those who are following both).

 

 

 

I believe , as has been posted by others, that this "test" is to find a price point for their new 'convenience fee'. What makes me believe this? Why would NCL go to the trouble of changing the wording on their web page in regards to room service if this was only a "test"? They have certainly not been rushing to make those changes in regards to all the other recent increases they have been adding.

 

 

 

In regards to food, last night their FAQ 'Cruise-Fare-Includes' webpage stated;

 

Meals in the complimentary dining venues, i.e.:

Two main dining rooms on every ship except Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway which have three

Buffet

24-hour Dining venue (on select ships)

Room service from 5 am to midnight (small service fee applies between midnight and 5 am)

Outdoor Buffet (on select ships)

Pool Bar and Grill (on select ships)

Coffee Bar (regular coffee and pastries included, specialty coffees at nominal extra charge)

 

 

 

Today the same webpage states;

 

Meals in the complimentary dining venues, i.e.:

Two main dining rooms on every ship except Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway which have three

Buffet

24-hour Dining venue (on select ships)

Room service menu items (convenience charge may apply)

Outdoor Buffet (on select ships)

Pool Bar and Grill (on select ships)

Coffee Bar (regular coffee and pastries included, specialty coffees at nominal extra charge)

 

 

 

Were they just changing the wording on their website for a two week trial? I doubt it. The only thing they have not settled on is the price point.

 

Also interesting to note that for the Coffee Bar it states that regular coffee and pastries are included. I myself have been told in the past the regular coffee is not available. Nice to know that I can indeed get a cup of regular coffee without having to run up to the buffet.

 

 

Rochelle

[daffodiliaz]

Hey Cruise Critic news department, how about a news story about all these changes and all the discussion going on here on the NCL boards? And ask the CEO how he feels about ticking off the NCL passengers. I'd love to see his response.

[Mirrasi]

So when the crap is free, all is just fine. But when there's a charge for it, all hell breaks loose.

 

It was free when I bought and paid for my cruise which is past the point of cancellation. Not to mention, it's free on all other major lines (to my knowledge) so it's pretty expected on my end.

 

If they are going to roll out things like this (and the tipping), there should be fair warning, especially to those past the paid in full dates. Between the two, I am wishing I had picked a different line.